Beyond Tomorrow
by EBwrites
Summary: We last left Rose as she was awakened and become the first strigoi leader. Now two months later Dimitri and the gang are trying to find away to get their Rose back. Sequel to Forever & Always /s/6730250/1/Forever Always
1. Living without you

Beyond Tomorrow

"_There's this place in me where your finger prints still rest... your kisses still linger and your whispers softly echo... It's the place where a part of you will __**forever & always**__ be a part of me"_

Chapter One: Living without you.

Rose's POV

Strigoi don't sleep. That was one thing I think I'll always miss that about being dhampir. Because sleep meant dreams, and no matter how crazy the dream, at least it was an escape from reality for a while, the reality I lived in.

During the day light hours I don't have much to do except plot our next mission or sit and stare out into the blacked out window and wish I could feel the sun. The sun I had once enjoyed so much. And sometimes if I sit there for long enough my mind shifts back to the past, to Dimitri & Lissa. The way he smelled, the way his hair felt when I ran my fingers through it, his eyes. Maybe it was because before the attack that was the last thing I thought about. Them. But I wouldn't allow much self to think about it for long, because once I did and convinced myself that this, what I am, this, wasn't the right Rose. But it was, the clarity I felt. The power, the way blood tasted on my tongue, to suck the life out of one's body, this had to be what I was supposed to be. This had to be my destiny all along…

"Rozalia!" I heard Kyle call from the other room. I got off my bed, which I wasn't sure why I even had a bed if I didn't sleep, and walked into the next room.

Kyle was my first awakening. He had sandy blonde hair, and bright green eyes, now rimmed in red of course. He was a 18 year old dhampir from , funny right? How you're past comes back at you. He was my right hand man. He came up with the nickname the first morning, telling me he use to have a girlfriend named Rozalia. It reminded me vaguely of what Dimitri use to call me.

"Yessss Kyle?" I asked hanging on the doorway.

He smiled sweetly. "We have a problem."

"Kyle!" I snapped "Just tell me already, learn, don't drag these things out child!" his smile disappeared.

"Sorry, babe." He replied

"That's not funny." I said seductively, kind of , I had no interest in him. Just liked to fool with his innocent crush emotions. "Now get to it."

"You have…visitors."

"Do you mean snacks?" I replied

"That's for you to decide your majesty." He said before leading three people in. I knew one instantly.

"Jesse." I whispered, memories flowing in. Of him, of the past…I snapped out of it seeing his face again. He said nothing. The other two looked to be mori, probably royal by the looks of their clothing.

"Jesse, how have you been?" I asked cruelly, smiling and dragging my finger across his chest.

"Don't touch me." He said in a low tone.

"Oh, dear, that will be a problem." I whispered "I was hoping you'd just go willingly."

"Hardly." He said back.

"Once you've been awakened maybe you'll learn not to whine so much."

"They're looking for you." He said strongly this time. Looking up at me for the first time. He winced as he looked me in the eyes.

"Who?" I asked suddenly curious.

"Dimitri, Lissa, Olena or something, even Adrian ." He replied. I could Kyle was getting impatient.

Kyle take the other two, this one is mine, now go."

"But-" he began.

"GO!" I yelled back, and he did, doing a quick bow and grabbing the two other girls.

Once we were alone I pulled Jesse across the room trying to be gentle. I looked him in the eyes.

"How do you know that they're looking for me?" I said angry bubbling inside of me.

"I went to the court, it's crazy, and they're trying to find you 24/7. Rose, I know the real you I s in there, the Rose Hathaway I knew wouldn't be like this."

"You don't know me." I spat

"No, your right, I knew the real Rose Hathaway. One that was strong minded and a total kick ass. Your nothing like her." He screamed back. I grabbed him by the neck and shoved him into the wall. He tried to pry my hands off to get air, but I wouldn't let him. Then he did something that resonated with the old Rose still in me, bringing me back, the real me back.

"He can't live without you. He loves you." He said softly.

"Dimitri?" I loosened my grip. He nodded as much as he could.

I let him go but he didn't run. I felt myself slide back into my old self, just for a moment.

"I'm going to let you go." I started hesitantly " You have to run, don't look back just run, got it? But you have to remember how you got here okay? Find Dimitri, Lissa, I don't care, and tell him how to get here. Can you do that." I asked desperately.

"Rose, I knew you were in there." He said smiling

"Now go, before I change my mind and get hungry." He nodded, and I let him out the back. I hoped he would make it. But I almost doubted it. I watched him for a while before I felt myself slip again back into strigoi.

I walked and went back to my bedroom, to think. About what I'd just done, and how I was going to get my next meal.

Dimitri's POV

**One Day Later**

As I lay there in my bed, sleep wouldn't come. It never came, I only slept when I couldn't keep my eyes open, when my body literally couldn't live without it. Because without her body on the other side I felt alone. I always felt alone now. When no one was around all I did was cry. I'd never cried, never been one to cry. But without Rose, I had no reason to be strong, no reason to keep going on. The only thing that did keep me going was the fact she COULD still be out there. She MIGHT not be dead. But then I was reminded she may be dead. Staked and gone already, to late for me to find her. A ghostly image of her lying there, her eyes open, her face strigoi white, a stake running through her heart, blood. It all made me want to gag, not because I wasn't use to blood and guts. Because even after the attacks seeing Rose, even imagining Rose like that was horrible.

I heard a knock on the door and hastily wiped the tears from my cheek and opened the door on the other side that lead to Lissa's house. I found Christian and Adrian standing there. It must be nearly morning for them, and me. I still felt groggy

"Wow, you look like shit." Christian remarked. Adrian gave him a hard shove.

"Thanks…" I replied sleepily.

"Hey Dimitri." Adrian added in softly. He'd been pretty torn up about Rose's absence too.

"Hey." I said back.

"We have something to tell you. I think…it's a good thing." Adrian started

I perked up a little hearing that. A spark of hope rising in my heart.

"What, what is it?" I nearly sounded like a little boy getting excited the morning of Christmas.

"You remember Jesse from right?"

I scowled "Yeah, I remember the jerk." The night I'd found him about to go to 2nd base with my Roza, well she wasn't mine back then but still.

"Well, you'll never believe this. He was captured by Rose's cl-" Christian stopped as if he suddenly realized he was talking about Rose. "I mean army took him and gave him to Rose to decide his final fate. But she let him go." My heart sped up; the real Rose was in there.

"She, she let him go?" I asked quietly, almost afraid it wasn't true. Normal strigoi didn't let people go, which meant Rose wasn't completely strigoi right?

Adrian nodded "He came back to the court, he says he can remember where it was. Where their…um…headquarters is."

I swore in Russian, but it wasn't because I was mad, or sad, I was ecstatic.

"Well where is here? We have to go." I asked

"Come on, here's waiting downstairs." Christian replied I followed them out towards the only hope Rose had right now.

Rose's POV

The engagement ring, the one Dimitri had given to me just one month earlier was on my dresser. Next to the pictures and letter he'd given me. No one else knew I still had these things. I was strigoi, I wasn't supposed to care, to miss, to even think about people from my past life before I was awakened. But I did, and I knew that wasn't normal. But when was I ever normal, even as strigoi, I was the oddity.

I picked it up. The diamond on the front glittered brightly. But the silver band still had dried blood on it. It instantly snapped me back to that night.

_Their nails digging in tightly…Sharp, razor sharp fangs. Digging hard into my neck…_

_Then I felt myself slip away. Not into blackness like passing out. I felt literally Rose Hathaway slip away. Everything that made me, me. All the things I'd done, the people I'd hated, loved…killed. It all evaporated, the love. I closed my eyes and the last thing I thought about as my old self, the real Rose Hathaway, was Dimitri & Lissa and how much I'd miss them… And just like that, I was gone._

It all seemed like ages ago to me. I didn't age, but I felt older, I felt different. A a small pocket mirror that had been in my pocket the night of my attack was next to my ring. I opened it but no reflection appeared. Just the rest of the room behind me. I shuttered, that's what I'd become. Nothing but a reflection less killer…

Authors Note:

Hey everyone, I hope you like the changes to the format of how I lay out my chapters. And…more importantly I hope you enjoyed the very first chapter of Beyond Tomorrow! So please review away, and Chapter 2 will be coming soon! AND if you add in any questions you have to your review I will answer them in the next authors note! AND (nurmero 2) you can still send me your three favorite things about the last story (Forever & Always) to become part of the V.I.P readers!

Thank you my lovely readers!

-ThatEmmyGal


	2. Finding Hope in The darkness

Authors Note:

Hey guys! Hope you liked (or possibly loved?) the first chapter. Sorry it's taken a few days for the 2nd Chapter, this following week is my spring break and I'm in FL with my family. So I had an early morning flight here, then driving all day, and blah blah blah, onto Chapter Two.

Chapter Two: Finding Hope in the darkness

"_All I have left is hope. The hope that one day my heart will be two again, because we are together." _

_-Unknown _

**Dimitri's POV**

I sat on the opposite couch from Jesse. He looked exhausted, but I assumed I looked worse so I didn't comment.

"So she really let you go?" I asked for the third time since seeing him.

He nodded. "Yeah, it was like she was strigoi, and then…" he searched for the words to explain it "then she wasn't, like there was a switch and when I said your name…"

"She?"

"She was back, back to the Rose we know."

"Oh."

"Then she told me run, and told me to come and tell you. Or Lissa."

"Mmmhm." I replied rubbing my hands over my face, I hadn't slept at all that night.

"You should have seen this place though; it's crawling with the…undead army." My mind was back in Russia in the mansion I'd kept Rose in… "I walked past a holding room; they keep them there, just waiting for their next meals." _Them; as in mori, dhampir, food…_ "But I got the idea that Rose doesn't drink from them, she goes out and ummm…gets her pick of her meal." I shuttered just hearing him talk about her like that, like a killer.

"Thank you Jesse." I said standing up. "I'm going to go take a shower, and shave. Then we get to making a plan, alright?" I looked up to where Christian was holding Lissa around the waist, and Adrian standing next to them looking glum. Lissa nodded.

"Oksana called earlier, she's on her way. Her plane gets in around lunch." We'd asked Oksana to come for a visit at the court. We had wanted to tell her about Rose when she got here, but she said she didn't have the time or money to come. So we had to tell her, and she accepted. We hoped with her help we could charm another stake, Lissa had been trying day & night to. But nothing was working and without Rose to slip the darkness from her she was getting bad. I found her on the floor a few days ago crying uncontrollably about how she couldn't do it. She been gripping her arm so hard it drew blood. So we all decided she wouldn't be allowed to charm things for a while, for her sanity.

I climbed the stairs to Lissa and Christain's bedroom, then walked into ours. _Ours_, I still called it that. I wondered if we never found Rose, or if we found her dead if I'd ever be able to call this room mine, and not ours, because it had Rose written all over it. From the wall color, a light blue Rose had insisted on me painting. To shelves covered in our pictures she'd framed, books of hers, her jewelry. I walked into her closet, smelling her sweet perfume, seeing her clothes. It'd only been a month, but it felt like forever. I saw a box on the top shelf. I didn't want to invade her privacy, but I had to see it. To be closer to the Roes I knew, the Rose that may never come back. I grabbed it and sat on the floor opening it carefully, not sure what I'd find.

It was full of all the notes I'd left her, one after the other, my hand writing on each one of them. She'd kept them all, like a prized piece of memories in that box. Tears gathered in my eyes all over again. I closed the box after reading a few. I set it neatly on the shelf and took my shower and shaved. But I made sure to not put on my aftershave, because it reminded me to much of Rose. Then my cell phone began to buzz, a text from Lissa.

Oksana_'s plane just got in. Thought we'd all go out for lunch. Meet us at that Italian place in an hour._

I closed my phone and got dressed quick and went to the Italian restaurant on the other side of court.

As I walked quickly though the court I hear footsteps gather behind me, I turned and found a few guardians.

"Hey Dimitri."

"Hi." I replied wary of what their intentions were.

"So, you found your undead girl friend and her army of killers?"

I strode towards them getting right into their faces before I spoke. "That undead girl friend has a name, and it's Guardian Hathaway."

"Whatever." One said and they walked away.

I arrived at the Italian place, and like everything seemed to, it reminded me of Rose. Just 2 months earlier where she'd been attacked for the first time. It all seemed like children's play compared to what had happened to her now. What I let happen to her.

I spotted them already at the table. I pulled up a chair.

"Dimitri." Oksana gasped eyeing me up and down. "I haven't seen you since you were, I don't know, maybe 17." She shook her head in disbelief "You grew up good." She patted my hand gently, almost afraid I wasn't real. I smiled at her.

"I really wish we could chat more, but Rose…she needs us. I don't know how much longer we have before someone else finds her, or she needs her next meal…"

She nodded. "I've been trying to charm a stake for a while but I haven't had much luck. But I will do as much as I can for Rose."

We started to plan, and my hope faded a bit as I relized that really there wasn't a lot of hope for her…

Rose's POV

I grabbed her blonde hair and yanked for towards me. I smiled, she smelled like fear. Her eyes spoke wonders, light carmly brown eyes. I pulled her neck closer to my mouth.

"Please, god please."

"I'm sorry" I said cruelly even though I wasn't.

"I have a daughter" she whimpered. She was a mori, not to much older than me, maybe Dimitri's age.

"Your point?" I hissed

"She'll grow up without a mother. She's 3, she, she, she deserves a mom…" She squeaked out

That sent me back, to growing up. Of course I had a mother, but I hardly saw her until a few years ago. I felt a small bit of the old Rose tug through my need for fresh blood.

I bit harshly into her skin and she cried out. I sucked in her sweet blood for a while. But didn't awaken her, but didn't kill her either. I suddenly had no real interest in either.

"There." I spat shoving her forward. "She can grow up with a mother." She stumbled grabbing at her bleeding neck. Fear covered her eyes, but there was something else. Gratitude maybe? Relief was probably more like it.I spun around and strode back into the night discussed with the fact I'd let another one go.

I arrived back at our headquarters greeted by Lauryn.

"Your majesty." She teased. We'd become close friends, so I'd given her permission to call me Rose.

"Hello Lauryn."

"Is your hunger satisfied?" she asked a knowing smile teasing her lips.

"Yes indeed." I didn't mention the fact I'd let my 3rd victim of the night go. But I killed 2, so the 3rd one wouldn't be mentioned.

"Come on." She motioned towards my living room area. We sat on the couch cross legged; I put my elbows on my knees and starred back at her, smiling. It felt familiar, the way we acted towards one another. _Lissa. _Her name crossed my mind, but I pushed it away.

"Well, I was thinking we could plan our next, invasion. Our last one was such a success, with you leading it. It'll be fun, plus I have an exquisite location darling." She said in her fake British accent

"Where is that babe?" I asked trying to use an Australian one too. It was our thing, accents I mean.

"The court." She whispered

"What?" I was a bit taken a back. I bit my lip, it had always been my way of hiding my emotions, even as strigoi.

"Yeah it's brilliant isn't it? And I can get Zach, and you can get Dimitri. And that queen." She looked disgusted "You can lure her, she'll come to you right? And getting in isn't that hard. We have people on the inside you know."

"Yeah, she'll…come to me I guess. But wait, how long have people been on the "inside"?"

"I don't know, a real long time. Since Lissa became queen. Just "in case" kind of people. It'll be easy. But with you in command, darling we can wipe the whole thing out."

"No." I said sternly

"What? Are you fucking kidding me? It'll be perfect."

"No." I repeated. Not sure why I was even saying no.

"Why the hell not?"

"I said no, and I meant it. Now get out of my sight!" I snapped suddenly. Angry at her wanting to control me.

"Why are you so crabby?"

"I said get out!" I screamed louder. And she did, slamming the door angrily behind her.

I sat there a moment then angry bubbled through me. I dug my nails into my arm, it didn't hurt, nothing really hurt anymore. I mean I had never gone into the sun, I was always careful of that. And I hadn't run into any silver stakes lately so there wasn't that either. And for some reason…I missed pain…

**Hope you liked it! Chapter 3 to come soon guys! As always, review away! I'll send out a new V.I.P sneak peek soon! **


	3. The Pain we feel

Chapter Three:The Pain we feel...

_ "Hope never abandons you, you abandon it." ~George Weinberg _

**Dimitri's POV**

I walked briskly towards the Guardian headquarters. We made a plan, but now we needed people, people willing to risk their lives to save a strigoi. This wasn't going to be easy, no, it would be far from it. But all I had was hope. I needed to find Rose; I needed to get her back. Sure, I'd spent time without her. I had to as a guardian. But after this past year, with her and I having a real relationship, I realized how much I needed her and vice a versa. I tried in that moment to imagine just finding her dead. Her really being gone forever. Living my life without her, and to tell the truth I couldn't. I didn't want to live without her, period.

I reached the door, and took a deep breath in. _It'll be fine, be strong, be strong for Roza._ I thought to myself before pushing the door open. I walked straight to the desk and taped it a few times to get the young mans attention.

"I need to talk to Guardian Hans." The man sitting behind the desk looked at me.

"He's busy."

"Now, I'm not kidding, go get him."

"He's busy." He repeated to me like I was a child. I shut my eyes and took a calming breath to keep myself under control.

"I need to talk to him now, I'm not kidding. Go get him." I let my voice get a dangerous low tone. The guy looked a little startled and picked up the phone.

"Let me call him out quick…." He dialed a number quickly and I heard Hans answer on the other line. I went and sat on the other side of the room and waited patiently, or somewhat patiently.

Finally I saw Stan come through the back office way. He nodded towards me.

"Dimitri." He said unwaveringly. He was one of the few that used my first name. Not as a disrespect, but the exact opposite, he respected me greatly, and I was glad for that.

"Stan. Can we talk, we privately?"

"Or course." He motioned towards a meeting room. I followed. "Whats on your mind?"

"We found her. We found Ro-" I stopped myself. I had to present this without so much emotion. I tried desperately to put on my mask of calmness. Inside my mind was raising. "Guardian Hathaway. I'm sure you heard about Jesse and everything."

"I did. Continue." He said evenly.

"We have Oksana with us. She's…" I wasn't sure how to explain it. "from my home town. She's also like Lissa, she has the spirit powers too."

He nodded "I'm aware of that also."

"We want…to go retrieve her. With our 3 spirit users we can save Rose, from being strigoi. We can get her back." I knew my voice was getting to light, too filled with emotion of love and pain. But I couldn't hold it back much more. He eyed me, his face showing no emotion I could recognize.

"Dimitri…you know how much I would like to be able to bring her back. She was an amazing guardian-"

"Is, she is an amazing guardian." I corrected, I couldn't help it. I didn't want anyone talking about her in the past tense.

He sighed "Dimitri, you can't ask people to sacrifice their lives just to save hers. Besides, how do you even know the…spirit users could do it? Can turn Rose back?"

"They can, I've seen it, I've felt it." I said trying harder and harder to stay calm.

He put his hands down lightly on the table. "I know, but I can't, you know that. Besides, it'd be putting the queen in danger, we can't do that."

"She wants to, she needs Rose as much as I do." I knew I shouldn't have said it. But it was too late now.

"No, Dimitri, I'd like to. Believe me, I would if I could. But no, we can't. It's not an option."

"You did this to her." I growled my emotions churning inside me finally bubbling to the surface. "If you'd let her stay, she's be alive. She wouldn't be strigoi. If you hadn't been so paranoid about strigoi attacking the court she wouldn't be one!" I yelled, I couldn't stop it now, my blood was boiling with anger.

"It wasn't just my diction, and it was the best one. I agree it didn't turn out as planned, but the queen if safe. That's what matters." He put his hand on my shoulder "They come first Dimtiri."

Jumped from my chair, he looked startled but didn't move from his seat.

"You can't do this! We can save her! We can save Rose!" I screamed my entire body becoming tense. He stood and put his hand on my shoulder.

"No. We can't save her. Dimitri she's gone, you may as well start believing that."

"But, but…we need to invade the strigoi's….nest." I didn't know what to call it. "We need to kill all the strigoi there, and we can get Rose."

"Dimitri, it's…over. I'm sorry, we're all remember her for who she is, not what she's become." He nodded and with that left the room. I stood there frozen in the fact that one of my only chance of getting her back was gone. And Rose might be too, forever.

**Rose POV**

I walked swiftly over to Lauryn's room. It was just across the hall from my living quarters. I tapped her door lightly.

"Lauryn?" I called in a light airy voice. She opened the door instantly like she'd been waiting for me.

"Yes?" she called back.

"I changed my mind." I said strongly.

"About what?" she said trying to sound like she had no idea, when she fully did.

"Ok just come on, we have a lot to do." I said pulling here back to my room.

"Not really."

I turned my head "What do you mean?"

"I kind of already planned it all." She bit her lip.

"So is everything set then?" I asked. She nodded, and I smiled.

"We leave at night fall?" I asked

"Of course darling." She replied. I laughed and pulled my door close to discuss all of this further.

And then after an hour or two it was set. Later that day once dark fell the royal strigoi's would leave for the court. We had a few cars, and some humans help. I made the calls to the insiders we had at the court and I was getting more and more excited by the minute. It was going to be….fun, or so Lauryn kept telling me.

"Aren't you excited?" she asked me. I looked at her through the corner of my eye. _Am I excited? Or did I do it just to please them. To please the Strigoi…_

"Yeah of course." I said evenly picking at my finger nail.

"You don't souuund excited?" she shot back. I turned and glared at her.

"I SAID I was excited, what you don't believe me?"

"Ido, I do, you just seem….hesitant."

"Just lay off okay, we use to live there, work there, our lives were there! Don't you worry a little bit about going back there? Seeing people you knew?" I yelled. _Shit, that wasn't what I meant to say. _She looked at me.

"What the hell is going on with you?" she asked

"Nothing, just…go, just go. I'll see you just before we go alright?"

She nodded and parted with me. I walked back to my room again. I flipped on the T.V. It never seemed to interest me anymore, nothing from my old life did. It was like being strigoi dulled everything so that all that ended up mattering was blood, killing, and power….

**Dimitri's POV**

I went back to Lissa's office to tell her what Hans had said. I entered her main office area and found her with Christian. I began explaining what happened.

"No, they…god they can't do this to her! They did do this to her in the first place, and now we have to fix it. I can't, I just.." she ran her finger through her hair violently. I could tell the spirit was rising up in her. Just like when Rose has killed Victor. That same crazy look in her eyes, she closed her eyes and tugged at her hair and shook her head. "They can't, we have to…we have to save her." Her voice was frantic and crazed. Christian pulled her close and kissed her forehead.

"You have to relax Lissa." He whispered to her "Just, relax." Her rubbed circles on her back just like I would do to Roza to relax her. But she shot up from her chair, angry flooding her face.

"No, god damn it No! I'm going to go find her without them." Christian got up and touched her shoulder. Her angry turned to desperation. Christian wrapped his arms around her trying harder to calm her. Her fury turned to sobs. "I miss her…I miss her so much. I need her Christian, I do…" she sobbed. I sat down in a chair nearby. She looked up at me. "I'm sorry…"

"It's okay, I get it. I…I miss her too." She nodded

"I bet you miss her a LOT."

"I do." I admitted sadly. "I…I just…can't imagine my life…with her." I whispered almost to myself, but Lissa heard me.

"Me either…" she looked back at Christian and he embraced her, kissing her cheek sweetly.

"It'll be alright, we'll…fix this." He whispered into her ear. She looked a little calmer. "Come on." Christian tugged Lissa's hand. "You too General." Christian called I winced at the old nickname, it reminded me of when Rose and I were on the run. I followed them to a few offices down. A parlor like room, very "royal" looking. Lissa didn't like it all that much. It had high ceilings and golden and light blue wall tones. She sat in a big comfy chair.

"Christian?" she asked as he sat on the arm of the blue chair.

"Mmhm?" he said looking towards her.

"Go call Jesse, we'll need him for this plan." He nodded and walked off. She turned towards me.

"What…." She searched my face. "What are we going to do?" she finally said after the long pause.

"What do you mean?"

"How are we going to save her, save our Rose."

"Lissa" I started "We've done crazy things. And…we can do this." I clasped her hands. "We can find Rose, we can save her. You just…" I turned away. "You just can't give up like everyone else." I said pain filling me.

"Dimitri?" Her voice was soft, but scared.

"Yes?"

"I would never give up on saving Rose." I smiled knowing she was telling the truth.

Jesse arrived and we began to plan. We made maps of where it was, we knew some people like Mikhail to help us. But it wouldn't be easy, sneaking Lissa out, I mean sneaking the QUEEN out wasn't going to be easy. It wouldn't be impossible no, nothing was. But it would certainly pertain to be the most difficult, besides getting to Rose, in our plan.

**Authors Note: Hey guys! So sorry this chapter took a while! I'm on va-ca. But here it was. HUGE CHAPTER COMING UP! Life changing for Dimitri…and Rose. So look out and review away lovely readers 3**

**-ThatEmmyGal**


	4. Fate can be cruel

Chapter Four: Fate can be cruel

"_Why do people have to lose things to find out what they really mean?"_

**Rose's POV **

I knew what I was doing the moment I stepped off our royal grounds, the strigoi's royal grounds that is, my royal ground… I was fully aware of what would transpire when we reached the court. Lauryn was going to find Zach, she said she'd turn him and then find us. She made it sound so easy, so perfectly…right, like that's how it had to be. I was then going to find Dimitri and turn him. She had sounded giddy, talking about how we both have our loves for eternity. I don't know what but I didn't share her joy. Probably because the last part of the plan included finding, and killing Lissa & Christian at all costs.

"We could turn her too." I argued. "They were, I mean…I don't know they'd be useful."

Lauryn snorted "Hardly, believe me Rose this is for the best."

Lauryn seemed to act like she knew what was best for me, for our kingdom, but wait wasn't this MY people. Not hers, not ours, mine? I shook the thought and for the first time pushed harder to fight the fact she'd wanted to kill Lissa.

"No, but she could help. We could use her."

"You're not thinking straight here, or seeing the big picture." She said her voice rising in frustration

"Give me a good reason." I'd demanded. It'd seemed like the most logical thing to say, to ask.

"Mori and dhampir's alike will be in total chaos without a queen again. It'll be easy to take over the court, to take them ALL over."

"What? Wait, I thought this was, just an invasion. To get Dimitri, Zach, some others, feed and come back. Not a takeover."

"Call it what you want, we've already got it planned!"

"Fine." I replied lamely.

"Alright, now since we have a little time to kill, I thought we'd give you a little hair cut."

"A what? Your not touching my hair!"

"Rose, there will be other guardians there, your haaairrr" she paused "Will only get in the way, besides it'll be cute."

I understood how it would be. There would be more guardians at the court to get through that in our other invasions. It made sense but still, it was my hair. And lately I'd felt like Lauryn was always talking to me like a little girl. Like she ALWAYS knew what was best. But yet I'd complied. She cut it into a short length, that fell just above my shoulder, not touching them, just grazing. It felt odd, having it that short. I couldn't remember the last time It'd been that short, maybe 1st or 2nd grade…

I was thrust out of my memories with Lauryns tugging on my arm as we walked.

"We're close." She whispered. "The wards, we have our…people on it right now. There'll be down soon and once we have the go ahead, we're in."

A smile curled on my lips, I was hungry, and ready to eat. Ready to feed on others souls. To feel the power fill my body once again. I was excited. Which meant I'd slipped back into my strigoi self, the higher reasoning Rose was out the window. Blood lust and hungry were the only thing I could think about now.

Lauryn squeezed my hand. "Ready?"

I was. We'd done invasions before, but this one would be different for obvious reasons.

"Of course darling." I whispered and we began our crawl forward. We were at the front because we knew the court the best, hell we had lived there. There was only 3 of us. We were going to bring about 50, but getting to Lissa would be easier if we could really sneak in. Even if that out numbered us. I readied myself as we approached the wards.

_Stop! _A voice called out in my head. I did for a moment stop, my feet halting, my mind freezing.

"What's wrong? Come on we're so close!" Lauryn hissed. I gulped down and shook my head.

"Nothing." I replied. "Wait!" I said just as she turned around. Her face was red with annoyance.

"What!" she said trying not to explode on me right then and there.

"I…uh…" I didn't really know what I had been wanting, or thinking. "Umm never mind." I said slowly and Lauryn smiled harshly.

"Good, now can we please go?"She asked I nodded and we did cross the wards.

My heart rate sped up as we crept across the cleared area of where the wards would end, through the small woodsy area on the bounds of the court. I glanced over at Lauryn one last time. She gave me a reassuring smile. We both spotted a few guardians walking in a cluster and ran towards them…ready to feed.

**Dimitri POV **

"Go get a little rest before we leave." I called over my shoulder to Lissa as we entered her home. We were going to leave that morning with Oskana, Christian , Adrian, her, Mikhail, and a few other guardian friends of mine. The plan was set, now all we had to do was wait. We were all going to get a little sleep before morning set in. I walked into my bedroom. I didn't feel like changing though, so I just lay on my bed staring at the fan as it spun round and round. My mind fell into something like sleep, not really thinking about anything, floating in a way. But not asleep, I stayed alert, ready for anything…or almost anything.

I couldn't sleep…like always. I decided a walk would be fine, or maybe I'd go shopping. I wasn't sure for what. Supplies? A few new shirts maybe, just to do something, anything besides lay in my bed thinking about her, about Rose. Because that was hell, thinking about something, yearning for something, and not being able to have it, to hold it…

So I walked across the court to the shopping complex. But no matter how hard I tried to block out her, my mind drifted back to the turning point for us, it seems like just yesterday…

…"_But your with Adrian," I said sternly, sadness filling my heart knowing I'd lost my only chance to be with the women I loved so very much. Knowing she'd be gone from my grasp forever._

"_But I was meant for you." She replied swiftly, like she didn't question it at all. Which had to be the case, because I knew it was true. She stood on her tip toes and I leaned down emotion coursing through me as I reached out and cupped her face in my hands, feeling her warm cheeks as her lips smothered me sweetly. My eyes closed as I picked her up and sat us together on the bed, feeling her body next to mine made everything better,all the pain and dealth, with her in my arms…it all seemed better._

But right before I entered the store I heard a scream. I jumped into action, like all guardians were taught to do. I spun around and what I saw made me freeze. A strigoi, blonde, looked a few years younger than Rose was attacking a young girl, maybe 14, a mori, royal. I pulled out my stake. _This can't be happening…not again…not now…ROSE.  
_

Dark brown hair slid past my vision. But it was short, a little above the shoulders. But it looked silky, and shined the way Rose's always had. The figure spun and spotted me but kept running. Her eyes meeting mine for a moment. It looked like Rose, the way she ran, even as strigoi, had that same stride I'd seen when I first taught her at . A few gaudains that had just been walking around ran towards the strigoi, but I couldn't move. Had that been Rose? Or was I seeing things from sleep deprivation.

"Belikov, we need some help over here!" called a gaudain. They took down the only strigoi and it left a gasping girl on the ground. But my world was focused on one thing, and one thing only. Rose.

"I have to go." I said quickly

"What? Why?"

"I have to protect the queen." I said getting up from where I'd been kneeling. I fully fledged ran to our home, because I knew that'd be Rose's only destination.

**Lissa's POV**

I couldn't sleep. Not with how nervous I was about our plan. So I just sat out in the backyard trying to distract myself, anything to distract myself. I brought the silver stake with me, I turned it over in my hand searching it for something I couldn't see. I had to try one more time to charm it. Adrian had been trying for the past few days, because there was no way Oskana would be able to stake anything, none the less Rose, but she helped has much as she could. Yesterday Adrain got close, really close, and our whole plan was riding on him getting it by the time we wanted to leave. And if he couldn't well…our whole plan was lost until he could. I turned the stake again. _Focus. _I whispered to myself over and over. I tried to push my power into it, and squinted hard. My head began to hurt, a headache inching up but I kept going kept fusing everything I had into that dumb stake. But when I looked at it, it hadn't worked, and angry bubbled through me. I was just about to throw the stake to the other side of the yard when I heard a creak of the gate and I spun around to find…Rose.

**Roses' POV**

I skittered past Guardians, running at top speed, I bet they didn't even see me. I knew I was nearing Lissa's & Christian's Home. _My home._ A voice whispered in my head as I ran. I knew there was a window in the back that led to my old bathroom. It was on the 2nd story but we had a porch and it's struts would be east to climb for me, who knew this home like it was my own. _Because It is your own! _A voice screamed in my head. But I shook it off. I knew I had to do this to gain the respect of my people. _Strigoi. Strigoi People._ The voice whispered in my head. We had security in the front of the house, but the back was a backyard. So green it hurt, With a huge tree in the corner and a small fountain in the middle. Dimitri and I had landscaped it our self, along with Lissa's impute. But that didn't matter now.

**DON DON DON! Okay now if you still want to sign up for my V.I.P message then now you can just say that in your review. I'll send you one right away! Okay so now do as always and review away, BIG BIG BIG chapter to come next!**

**-ThatEmmyGal**


	5. The Darkness

**(Out of Context)**

I just wanted to point out a few things (that may be confusing or forgotten from Forever & Always) that will make this VERY important Chapter more understandable.:

Forever & Always when Rose was first being stalked by the strigoi (and their "inside" guardian helpers), she was injured severely with a silver stake. Lissa tries to heal her when it first happens but the stakes magic contradicts it. Even after it's removed, she can't seem to heal her. She survives, but just barely. When Lissa comes in while Rose is in a coma she does try once more to heal her, to bring her back, and it works. Because of this, and trying to bring her back when she is first staked. Rose once again becomes shadow kissed.

2. When Rose is being taken to a different wards Secured location her van is attacked by the awaiting strigoi. Because Rose is shadow kissed (read 1.) when it occurs a small part of her, in a sense, is not changed. This allows her to slip back into a Rose similar to the one she was before she was awakened. BUT if you remember there was a weakening charm on her THERFORE the "old" Rose is also weak than the original.

there is still a bit of Rose that is "the old" Rose she can still take darkness away from Lissa. But because most of her is strigoi that means she can feel the effect of her subconsciously taking the darkness , unless she see's and has an immediate connection with Lissa. So IF and WHEN she gets restored (or makes physical contact with Lissa), the stored up darkness could come bubbling to the surface….

Hope that all made a little sense at least!

Chapter Five: The Darkness

"_Sometimes the darkness takes you over, making everything around you blur into hatred."_

**Rose's POV**

I hadn't expected to find Lissa here. I mean, I was positive she'd be home, it was early morning for the mori and I was sure she'd be doing something. Homework, studying, queenly matters. I guess I just didn't expect to find her here, the backyard. But never the less, it was going to make what I was about to do easier, seeing as I wouldn't have to scale a strut or break into the bedroom without being lit on fire by Christian, all of which seemed fairly difficult now that I thought about it…

Her eyes instantly met mine, they were filled with shock and fear. _Fear of you._ The voice inside my head whispered. I pushed it farther back in my head and took a few steps towards her, letting my mouth curl up in a harshly cruel smile, showing my sharp fangs. She winced seeing them full on. I stepped closer and she stood.

"Rose." She said trembling . She held the stake in her hands but it was shaking. "Rose, it's me Lissa."

"I know who the fuck you are." I said quietly not to attract attention from the front man guards.

"R-r-o-o-s-e." She stumbled over her words. "Rose, I-I-I…can sa-sa-ve you."

"I don't need you to save me, but you may need someone…to save you." I instantly gripped her wrist and with that single touch I felt darkness flood into me. My body tensed as it slipped into my mind, my heart, my soul, tangling everything I'd ever been. Memories flooded past my eyes. Of people I'd once known, people who died, people who cared and loved me…Then I saw Mason. Sweet,funny, caring Mason. He was bright, not ghost like, but heavenly. He touched my shoulder. An began to speak.

"Rose, this isn't you. Rose you have to relax, you can't let it-" I cut him off slicing through my haze and whipping Lissa to the other side of the yard by her arm. She hit the fence with a loud thud that made me smile. Her crumbled body twitched as she tried to rise. I heard the glass door slide open, but I payed no attention until I saw red blur flash across my vision. _Fire._ I thought to myself. _Shit. _I spun around to see Christian bolting down the stair along with a few guardians. But I couldn't focus on them, not even the fire. I grabbed Lissa again and hit her head against the round over and over not feeling anything but anger. Towards Lissa and I had no idea why. I kicked her hard in the stomach and blood spilled out of her mouth as she groaned in agony. I smiled again seeing her pain, I kicked harder.

"The stake." She croaked out. But I didn't pay attention. I leaned down and kneeled next to her bowing fakely.

"Your majesty." I whispered in her ear before digging my fangs into her neck. She cried out in pain, her body shaking and flaring as I drank. Out of the corner of my eye I saw 2 guardians pulling Christian away. He thrashed around.

"No! NOOOO! LET ME GO! NO!" He screamed harder making his own voice horse. He whipped his body around trying to move. I saw fire light in his hands but the guardians dragged him off. I saw more of them come, guns, and stakes and anything they could to save their beloved queen. But I squeezed hard on my grip, earning whimpers from Lissa. A thought flashed through me, through my mind. It was from Lissa. But how? I was strigoi, I couldn't still be shadow kissed, or could I?

_This is the darkness. You can to push through it, you have to-_

Her message was cut off as arms pulled me away. I knew it was over, because I saw the glint of a stakes in the air. It was bound to piece my heart. Lying there, feeling death calling me was so very different from all the other times. When I'd been in the car accident I'd seen Lissa right before I "died." Her smiling face, her blond hair, her warm jade eyes. When I'd been shot I'd seen Lissa & Dimitri, I'd tried to convey how much I'd loved him as my last moments. The time I was staked in the ballroom, Lissa had been there, crying, trying so hard to heal me, and the time I'd been nearly bled to death by Stan, I'd seen Adrain,Lissa, and Dimitri. But now, now I was surrounded by people who WANTED me dead. Who hated me with every fiber of my being, and in my side vision was Lissa. Her body limp blood caking her neck and mouth. Soaked into her clothes. I had done that to her, I was a monster, because I had probably just killed one of the people I loved most in this world. Guardians lifted her, I couldn't tell if she was alive or dead though.

And finally this time was different, because I had a clear moment. Where the darkness as gone, and so was the strigoi. All I wanted was to die. Because I didn't want to live, knowing I'd done that to my best friend…

In all the tangle of this I saw Mikhail. His face filled with pain, his stake about to hit heart. I could tell he was hesitating though, seeing me, recognizing that I was no longer strigoi in that moment, that I was really Rose.

"Kill me." I whispered painfully. "Please kill me." I needed to die, I needed to leave this earth because I'd tried to kill her, to kill Lissa.

"No." he said strongly. He let the stake drive into my chest, but I knew by his words and his movements it wouldn't hit my heart. But the stakes magic sting filled me, making my vision go blurry with pain. I knew this moment would mimic death. Mikhail knew it too. He watched me "die." But he got close to my face and even through the pain I heard him.

"We'll save you." He spoke softly "We'll save you." And with that I was gone. But only for a few minutes…

**And there you have it, Chapter Five! Hope you liked it! Chapter 6 again is gonna be a biggy, so hold onto your seats! Will post Chapter Six tonight! REVIEW AWAY! It WILL get you Chapter 6 faster!**


	6. Because of you

Chapter Six: Because of you.

**Dimitri's POV**

As I ran I spotted Adrian strolling along thoughtlessly. I grabbed him by he arm and tugged hard.

"Come on!" I screamed at his resistance to move faster.

"Why?"

"It's Lissa! And Rose, they need you."

"What, are you talking about?" he asked but sped up his pace and tried to catch mine.

"Just come on!" I screamed back and ran faster. I saw our white privacy fence just ahead. I tried to run faster but I heard someone calling my name behind me.

"Dimitri!" they said again getting closer, completely out of breath. It was Sonya, her auburn hair glinted in the lamp post's light. I expected her to stop but she ran right past me through the gate, Mikhail opening it for her. Adrian and I ran in right after her. And when I saw the backyard my entire body hauled. I swear if my hear skipped a few beats. Because this is what I saw.

Blood, a pool of it surrounding Lissa's body. Sonya instantly ran over to her lifting her hands right above Lissa's wounds. Then I noticed two perfect bite marks on her neck, which was also bleeding. My mind was so focused on Lissa, the way her hair clung to her bloody face, her shirt soaked. It looked almost as bad as when we'd found Rose that night after Stan's attack on her. Or even worse maybe. I saw he guardians release their grip of Christian and he flew forward next to Lissa's body. He gripped her hand and squeezed.

"Lissa?Lissa? Lissa!" his eyes surveyed over her body over and over. Seeing each cut and wound mark on her. "Liss you got to be strong for me. You can do that, can't you?" A tear slipped down his cheek. Bu he didn't take the time to wipe it away. "Lissa? Baby, please hold on, god please hold on. I need you, I need you…" he rambled. Then I heard a strangled gasp from Adrian. I turned to see what was he looking at. But I didn't need to ask him to see what he was looking at. Rose.

Her body lay there, not moving. Her hair was short, just like I'd seen when she'd managed to skid past me. A bit of blood covered her mouth, Lissa's blood. I took in her pale features instantly. The way her tanned skin was as white as chalk, her dark eyes gone cold. Then the stake, sticking straight out of her chest. I fell to the ground right next to her.

"No." I said painfully. Anger filled me, anger at her for dieing. "No,no,no,no,no,no. We were going to come save you. You can't-" I choked on my words "you can't die Roza. No. You don't get to just leave. You can't just leave me here! We were going to grow old together. We were…" I could hardly finish. "We were going to get married." I screamed,but at the end got softer. I bent closer to her face. My anger faded into desperation."Roza, Roza please, you can't. God you can't just leave me here without you. Vechno i vsegda." I said in my native tongue. "Forever & always." I said back to her again. Then I heard a sharp intake of breath and I jumped o my feet. Roza's eye lids fluttered. And she twitched .

"Rose?" I cried. Stupid move. 4 guardians turned from were Sonya, Christian, and Lissa were to where I was. Rose tried to say something, but it came out as a choking noise. Her hands reach for the stake. The guardians ran towards us. Both Adrian and I stepped in front of her, panic ran through both of us as we looked at one another.

"No!" I cried as they came a us with their stakes. I heard Rose gasp a little as she tried to get the stake out of her chest. But it was still magic, she couldn't touch it long enough to get it out.

"She's still strigoi!" They screamed trying to push through us. I fought to hold in my strong urge to throw them all across the yard inside. But they pushed harder. One pushed past me with his stake ready. Rose whimpered and tried to squirm away. Someone grabbed my arm and tried to hold me back. But when the man lifted his stake aiming so it wouldn't miss now. I thrashed as hard as Christian had been when I got there.

"No!" I screamed "No we can sa-" but before I could say anything else he pushed the stake down hard into her chest. She screamed rolling over 2 stakes in her small frame. I choked on the air around me, they released me and I fell to Roza's side. Tears rolled down her cheeks. Strigoi didn't cry, there was no way she was strigoi in that moment. Her face was filled with sadness.

"I love you." She whispered. "Tell…tell Lissa I…I'm…sorry. That I lo…." Her eyes went numb. Adrian suddenly was next to me. He was kneeling his eyes looking over Rose's body, shaking his head. He reached out his hands and closed his eyes.

"No-" called one of the guardians. But I didn't know why until I realized what he was doing. He was trying to heal her. But it wouldn't' work, I knew it wouldn't work…right? Then Sonya was there, her hands out too. And then I saw Christian shove a guardian. Shove, that's right. He held up Lissa and stumbled through. She knelt next to Sonya and put her own bloody hands out. I saw gaudains come to pull Lissa away but I got up and pulled out my stake.

"Don't touch them." I growled. They all eyed me oddly. Seizing me up probably. Then I heard a ear splitting shrieking sound. Then the same blinding light filled the darkness around us. And a harsh wind whipped me to the ground. When the light was gone I still saw all the spirit users lying there and Roza too. The stakes were lying next to her, and she was curled up in a tight ball. Her back going up and down with each muffled sob. I stumbled getting to her. Lissa was rubbing her back pulling her closely.

"Rose?" she said softly trying to coax her out of her ball. Rose shook here head.

"Get away from me." She sobbed out.

"What? Ro-"

Rose instantly cut her off "I'm a monster! Get away from me! You should have let me die! You should have let them kill me!" Her words were muffled but still rang out clear with intensity in them. She peaked her head out and grabbed the stake. At first no one moved then she aimed it for her own heart. I fumbled forward. It was turned the wrong way. I grabbed the sharp end it cut harshly into the palm of my hand.

"Roza! What are you doing?" I yelled. The pulled harder to get the stake.

"I want to die! I did that to Lissa! You should have let me die!" she screamed. I saw the darkness in her eyes, but it was a different kind. One that made her ramble, that made her insane.

"Rose." Adrian said calmly. But his voice wavered a little. "You have to…calm down alright?"

One of the guardians of Lissa walked up behind Rose with cuffs in his hands. I yanked hard on the stake and her grip slipped and it cut deeper into my hand. But I didn't care as long as it was away from her.

The man gripped Rose's wrist and she began thrashing around.

"No, no no please. I,I,I." she was choking on her words, making her stutter. Now she did turn towards Lissa. "Make them, make them stop." She cried like a little girl as the hand cuffed her.

"It's for the safty of the queen." Said the guardian sternly. Rose struggled against them, tears falling down her face.

"No, no, please." She mumbled "Let me go, they hurt! Let me go." She said again

I hated seeing my strong, fearless Roza like that. I touched Lissa's arm softly.

"Your scaring her!" Lissa yelled franticly. Rose was still moving, pushing back as they tried to drag her off. "Let her go! Your scaring her!" she said again rising to her feet. As she did so did Christian to catch her as she stumbled a little following them as they pulled her away.

"Liss? Lissa!" Rose yelled as they took her through the doorway.

"Rose! Just relax. Relax and they'll let you go." She said trying to calm her. I ran behind them trying to follow. But Mikhail pulled me back.

"Don't." he murmured. "I'll get you in to see her in a little while." He said softly.

"What? They can' take her to the cell! She hates it, she'll just make more of a racket if they force her into there!"

"I know, I know. I'll bring Sonya, she'll try to calm her down." He said before gesturing to Sonya to follow. I took a step backwards. In a matter of 10 minutes I'd seen Rose die, twice. Be brought back to life by. 1,2,3 spirit users, and her try to again kill herself. My mind spun trying to wrap it's self around everything, but it couldn't. I turned to see Lissa and about 7 new guardians to protect the queen.

"Damn." I said aloud realizing something all to suddenly. "Get her back in the house!" I yelled This was met with a ton of what's and whys.

"Because, Roza wasn't the only strigoi in the court, and more…more are coming."

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	7. Learning to Live

Chapter Seven: Learning to Live

"_Regret nothing…unless it's worth regretting."_

**Rose's POV**

Through my panic I suddenly noticed who was dragging me away. Zach, and another guardian I didn't know, or hadn't seen around recently. But I'd been gone for nearly 2 months I reminded myself. It still amazed me at how Zach had survived the attack unharmed. Well not exactly, I could just barely spot a long white scar on his arm. I could bet that was from a close call with one of the strigoi.

He gripped my arm suddenly tighter as we neared the jail.

"You can go. I got her from here." Zach murmured to the other guard

"You sure?" he asked a little hesitantly.

"Yeah." He shot back sternly. So the other guardian slipped his hand off my arm and Zachery replaced his in the same spot except his grip hurt a lot more. Once we were inside he building he pulled be towards one of he cells. It had been the one they'd kept Dimitri in when he'd been restored, and me when I'd been charged for murder. But before he opened it he suddenly slammed me hard against the wall, with his entire body weight he pushed me tightly to the cold white plaster. He dug his knee into my stomach. I winced closing my eyes. I saw a few ghosts flitter past me as the mental walls I fought to hold up began to crumble. I felt his face inches from mine, his breathing heavy as it hit my own face.

"Lauryn." He whispered out harshly.

"Wha-wha-what about ha-he-her?" I mumbled out feeling the pressure of the spirits grow sharper.

"Where is she?" he hissed "Was she with you on the court? Was she!" he slammed me again with more force that he had before, which I hadn't known possible.

"She-" I began dizzily trying to force words to form in my head. But they wouldn't without much forceful thought. "Sheee wa-was, was here." I stumbled out with ounce of energy.

"Where!" He scrapped his fingernails against my arm, drawing blood.

"I don't know! I don't know!" I whimpered out desperately. "Please, please just stop!"

"Not." He hit my skull against the wall with clunk "Until." Clunk "You." Clunk "Tell." Clunk "Me where the hell she is!" clunk, clunk, clunk. I tried to open my eyes but all I could see where blurs as I felt my walls fall. The spirits wrapped around me pushing in on me.

"I-I-I" Tears fell from my eye. Air got caught in my throat as I tried so hard to speak. "Please! Please stop!" I begged. He let go of my shirt, which I found was the only thing left holding me up. I fell to the ground.

"You WILL tell me later. I'll be back in 2 hours, and if you don' tell me then….Well I won't hesitate to use my stake!" he hissed into my ear and dragged my body into the cell and slammed the door with a clatter. I rolled over gripping my skull. I felt it throb with intense ,sharp, pain. I let tears fall from my eyes which I squeezed shut tighter. ..

Dimitri's Pov

Adrian hesitantly looked over at me. "Dimitri?"

"Yes?" I said not slowing our pace.

"Will…will Rose be…alright?" he asked softly.

I shook my head. "I,I don't know Adrian. I…I hope so."

He touched my arm. "Dimitri, I…I know how I reacted when you…and Rose got togehter. But I really do care about her." He looked down at his feet as he spoke. "At the time I,I couldn't understand. But now…I just want Rose to be happy. I want her to be safe."

"Thanks Adrain, it means..a lot. To me and Rose."

He nodded as we came to the door of the jail.

"Ready to do your thing?" I said quietly.

"Yeah…" he said back readying himself. Mikhail walked next to us ready to talk us out of it if we needed.

We came to the guard on duty and I saw Adrian lock his eyes with him.

"You will let Dimitri through to See Rose Hathaway." He spoke evenly, never wavering. The guard nodded and Mikhail pushed me forward.

"Go, you have 30 minutes. When your ready don't come around the corner. I'm going to be on guard for her section. But I'll make sure it's clear. Got it?"

"Yeah." I said softly as I walked forward to Rose's cell. I heard her whimpering before I was even in sight. I hurried my pace. I finally reached her, and my heart broke a little the moment I saw her. She was wrapped up in a ball on the far wall. Her entire body was shaking with each breath. Shivers ran through me seeing her like that, remembering how I felt when I'd been restored. But I hadn't been restored the way Roza had. Did that make it different?

"Roza?" I whispered softly as I crouched down to the ground. Seeing her with short hair still was rather odd, she didn't seem quite the same.

She turned her head for a moment to see me and our eyes locked. I shuddered seeing they dark and clouded and filled with pain. She began crying again rocking back and forth with her knees pulled to her chin.

"Rose please? I'm, I'm here for you baby"

She tore away from her cradle. "Make them go away!" she begged softly "Make them leave!"

"Who?"

"The ghosts!" she screamed suddenly. Her fearful voice echoed all around us.

"Your walls? Just put up your mental walls Rose. You, you know how." I started to panic seeing her body tremble. Then I noticed blood covered the back of her neck, and head. "Roza! Your head, it's…it's bleeding. She gently touched the back of her neck. She looked at her hand as if just noticing.

"Zach, he…he, he wanted to find…someone. Lauryn. Yeah, she..she was the one who awakened me.." with the last part Rose began to sob again.

"Rose, could you please come over here. Let me look at it?" I whispered trying to sound gentle. But it was hard, my mind was wrapping around the name. _Zach. Had Zachery really done this to my Roza. _ She shook her head.

"Make them go away!" she screamed louder than the first.

"Try Rose, try to put up your…mental blocks."

She kept shaking her head "I can't, I,I,I can't."

I almost felt the same, the way she looked I doubted she would be able to…but I had to be stronger for her, like she'd been for me. "You can." I said sternly, but with affection. "Your strong Roza. You can."

"No!" she yelled with harshness that made me nervous "I…I can't" she sunk back onto the small bed. She looked over at me, and closed her eyes shaking her head. I needed to touch her, to hold her, she needed me close. I could tell.

"Mikhail!" I yelled softly. He turned around. "I…I need to be in there." I said softly.

"What?" He asked confused.

"I need to hold her." I replied. And as if he instantly understood what I meant. He came over and typed in a code on her cell. It clicked and he swung in open just enough so I could slip in. He left it open so I could get back out. He gave a quick nod and left. I stood at the other end of the cell looking at her. Looking at my scared, vulnerable Roza as she cowered in the corner.

"Roza?" I asked again softly. She looked at me for a moment. Then grabbed her head again.

"Make…make them go away." She whispered. I took a few more steps closer to her. And she looked at me through tear filled eyes and sunk to the ground. I grasped her fragile arm. I sat down and pulled her body onto my lap. Feeling her warm body against mine made me gasp, this is what I'd yearned for, 2 long months without her. She buried her face in my chest, sobbing. I stroked the back of her neck lightly.

"I'm..I'm-a…I'm a monster." She whispered. I tipped her head back.

"No. No Roza your not."

"I tried to kill Lissa. She's my best friend, and I TRIED to kill her Dimitri! I,I,I couldn't stop myself. If, if we'd have been alone I would have….I would have."

"Roza." I whispered in her ear lightly rocking her back and forth. I touched the back of her head and she pulled back.

"It…It hurts." She said to me.

I looked at the back of her head. Blood covered her shorter hair.

"Za-Zach did this?"

She closed her eyes and nodded. Then I heard a commotion from down the hall. Then before I had time to react they came peeling down the hallway.

"What the hell is going on?" They screamed at me flinging open the door. This made Rose even more upset. She hugged me in tighter.

"Shhh! God please, please your upsetting her! Can't you damn fools see that? Please!"

Rose pulled me in tighter like a little girl afraid of the thunder.

They eyed me and Rose. "How did you even get in here?" One asked.

"Does it really matter?" I asked harshly.

"Why is she bleeding?" another one asked pointing at her head.

"I-I." my mind spun a little "I don't know." I lied "She had it when I got in here."

"Well, we need to..er..get it cleaned up."

"I'll go get someone." Said the other guardian scrambling off to get first aid.

"She probably did it herself Dimitri." Said one I did know to me.

I shook my head "No. She didn't."

"She tried to kill herself 30 secound after she's been restored! Look at your freaking hand!" Another one yelled. This made it even worse, Rose's never ending tears got worse. I heard her choking breath and I closed my eyes for a moment.

I looked down at my hand that had a bandage over it that was already soaked in blood, but Rose hadn't meant to hurt me. I could relate to how she was feeling, kinda. It had to be made so much worse by everything.

"She didn't do it." I repeated.

"Dimitri…I know, we know you care about her. But-"

The other guardian came in with a first aid kit. He was about to touch the cut when Rose pulled away. She shook her head viciously

"Let me.." I said quickly grabbing the bandage. I quickly cleaned it and bandaged it up. She winced and bit her lip to hold in the whimpers.

"Now you have to go." Said one to me sternly. I stood and put Rose carefully on her bed. She looked up at me silently begging me to stay somehow.

I nodded and left the cell. I turned back and whispered over my shoulder "I'll be back."

"No you won't" added in another guardian.

I glanced back at Rose. Her face was filled with so much dark, errie, pain. She lay down and kept crying rolling over again gripping her head in any attempt to make the ghosts leave her…

Poor Rose But don't worry, just review and I'll have Chapter 8 up tonight! Thank you lovely readers!


	8. Locked In

Chapter Eight: Locked in

**Rose's POV**

When Dimitri walked away I felt the ghost press further in. I screamed feeling them push harder against my skull. I felt hopeless, dead inside. I heard heavy footsteps coming down the cold hall. I shot up from my bed, hoping to find Dimitri coming back. But I grimaced seeing none other than Guardian Zach Hackery. I slowly back away from the bars to the other side of the small cell, trying to put as much distance as I could between him and me. I felt my hands hit the wall and I tried to blend in with it. But of course he didn't. He quickly typed in the code to my lock.

"Please-" I started but he was next to me in an instant.

"He snuck in, he saw you! I haven't seen Lauryn in months!" he yelled

"What are you talk-" He gripped me shoulders.

"Don't Lie to me! I don't want to hurt you, but I will if I have to."

I felt the strong, sassy, hold Rose peak only for a moment. "You didn't seem to have any trouble earlier!" But with one hard slam I faded back to the weak Rose I'd become. He slammed again. Angry shot through my veins, angry at how weak I'd become, angry at Zach for doing this to me. Pure fire like frustration. With a sudden strength I didn't know shoved him back. He looked at me surprised. I closed my eyes and with the sudden energy rebuilt my walls and watched the ghost fade from my vision. I grabbed him by the color and flung him towards the ground. His eyes grew wide. I punched him in the gut hard and shoved him back into the bars. He scrambled for his stake and brought it up. I pulled back instantly, feeling my fear rise. He eyed me for a moment. Seizing up my power no doubt, if I could hold up in the battle. The answer was no. He came at me but threw is stake to the side. My mind raced trying to remember old moves about how to NOT kill someone. I tried hard to fight back, kicking, and throwing a few miserable punches. But nothing lethal, nothing like the Rose I'd once been. He corned me tightly.

"What do you know? What do you know about Lauryn!" He screamed at me. I struggled to shift my weight against the wall enough to get a good kick. But he pressed up against me tighter. He looked down at me as I shrunk lower hoping I could break free from his grip somehow. "Why won't you tell me! Why won't you tell me!"

"I don't know!" I said harshly "I don't fucking know? If I did I'd tell you! I'd tell you! I know how you feel, I would TELL you!" I was running into the crazy rambling part of the spirit. "I wish I did. I wish, I-I-I did, but I don't! I don't."

His face softened, but only a little. "Fine." He spat taking a step back. I tumbled to the floor without his weight against mine. I took a few deep breath trying to steady myself. I got to my feet, I again stared straight into his eyes. I heard the patter of footsteps and a few yells.

"Zach! What the-"

"She is a danger to herself. She was trying to hurt herself, I came to help."

"No, no that's not what-" I began.

"Go get a pair of cuffs."

I shook my head, tears mingling in my eyes. "Please don't." I begged but it was no use they gripped my wrists and "restrained me from doing harm to myself." In their words. I hated cuffs more than anything. They made me feel completely helpless. They put me on the bed and told me to behave. Like a little child.

"Now behave Rose." One said sternly. I wanted to bite him, but I didn't. Then they left. And turned off the hall light on their way out. Darkness surrounded me, filling me up like a champagne glass. I waited for my eyes to adjust and just as they did I grew to tired to keep them open. I lay back, and winced as my cuffs dug deeply into my wrists. I rolled over on my side, and let myself slip away slowly into a dreamless, endless feeling oblivion.

**Dimitri's POV **

"We have to get back in there! One of us, she…she needs someone. She can't be alone for so long…"

We all sat in Lissa's kitchen. Lissa, Christian, Mikhail, Adrian and I.

Adrian ran his hands through his hair angrily. "I know, I know….I know!"

Lissa touched his shoulder. "Calm down."

"I can't!" he screamed. Then closed his eyes and took a deep breath, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, so sorry. She just…I can't just…I…I don't like thinking of Rose being alone and scared."

"I know." I said getting up. "Lissa, maybe….maybe you could get in. She needs someone with her and…"

"And what?" she asked standing up next to me. She was a full foot shorter than me, but still held the power of the world in her hands.

"She…she feels…" I couldn't finish my sentence.

"Dimitri what!" her temper boiled a little.

"She hates herself! She'll never be the same!" I screamed. "It's your fault, it's all your fault! YOU should have done something! Anything, she wouldn't have had to leave the court, she would have been safe! It wasn't the guardians fault, it was yours! You could have saved her from this and you, you know it!" Once I started I couldn't stop. It flowed through me like water, running off my tongue and into words I suddenly knew I'd regret.

I backed away, slowing hearing my words replay almost back to me. Tears brimmed Lissa's eyes as Christian grasped her arms to steady her. I couldn't breathe, I felt sick to my stomach. I couldn't believe what I'd just said. I hit the wall and closed my eyes, trying to relax.

"I'm sorry Lissa." I said opening my eyes "I didn't-"

"You did. You meant every word of it."

"No-" I began

"Yes. But it was true. It's all true" she pulled away from Christain. "If I had, she…she'd be fine."

No one spoke. We all stared at one another. Then Lissa spoke.

"I'm…" her voice trembled. "I'm going to going to go see Rose now, alright?"

I nodded. "I'll escort you there." I said softly. She smiled a little.

"Okay." She said lightly and we began to walk.

"I really am…sorry." I repeated as the silence became a little overwhelming.

"You don't have to say that." She said sadly. "You were right, and…I know it."

"Lissa-" I began

"Stop. Everyone just needs to stop telling me its not my fault. What you said was the first honest thing anyone's said to me about it. I'm glad you said it…"

We arrived at the jail building. I knew I should go later, let the two be alone. I would wait outside for her I decided silently. She nodded and walked in. Leaving me out in the warm, misty air, alone with my thoughts…and my fears.

Authors Note:

Hey guys! So, I'm sorry this is a shorter chapter, but I felt like that was where the end should be. Sorry again it took a while to get it up here. PLEASE review! It WILL I PROMISE get you chapter 9 faster! LOVE YOU GUYS!


	9. Breaking Free

Chapter Nine: Breaking Free

Rose's POV

I heard a voice calling my name softly. I thought for a moment it was a spirit dream beginning to wrap around me, until I realized I was walking up, and someone real, in the real world was calling my name.

"Rose?" The voice said for what had to be the 11th time. I recognized the voice, it was Lissa's. I tensed, and rolled over and too late remember the cuffs on my hands I bit my lip as they dug into my skin. I managed to sit up.

"Li-Li-Lissa?" I asked sleepily.

I saw her smile faintly, but it was still pitch black.

"Rose." Her voice sounded joyful. "Before you say anything, anything at all. I want to tell you it wasn't your fault, what happened, when you attacked me. It wasn't you, it was all the darkness and strigoi."

"It was!" I shot back harshly "I-I just…just go. I…just go." I couldn't handle her, talking to her, apologizing to her, everything.

"It wasn't! You remember when Dimitri was turned back, it's no different!" She screamed, her voice echoing in the hallway.

"No, No it's not!"

"How?"

"Because he didn't nearly kill me! I-I-I did kill you. I knew it was you, I wanted you dead. I wanted you to suffer! It was me!"

"Rose, you're being stubborn!"

"I'm being truthful."

"No, you're lying to yourself. Because you WEREN'T yourself during that, I mean, what happened."

"Go." I said trying to push my emotions back in.

"No."

"Why? What don't you get about I KILLED YOU!"

"I'm alive, I'm ALIVE Rose, Alive!"

"But what if Sonya hadn't gotten there? You know Adrian isn't strong enough heal you."

"Rose, I didn't die, because if I had I would be shadow kissed. I'm not."

"But you almost did."

"Rose?"

"What?" I asked, but realized it was a new voice. Mikhail's.

"I'm sorry, I would have come earlier but they weren't let me in."

He unlocked my cell and came straight in to unhook my hand cuffs. I relaxed back into the wall of the bed. He touched my shoulder softly.

"She's right."

"Huh?"

"You weren't you." He said sincerely.

"Give it a rest people." I said almost smiling as I crossed my arms over my chest. Then Lissa opened the cell and walked in. She sat next to me and touched my knee lightly. Mikhail nodded and walked off.

"I can't…I can't live my life without you Rose. I need you, and I love you. You can't shut yourself off, because you have so many people who love you."

My body warmed and I finally got it. I couldn't keep feeling like this.

"Okay." I whispered softly leaning into her. I expected her to flinch, to shoot away, but she pulled me in closely.

"I've missed you Rosie."

"Oh Liss." I whispered hugging in tighter. And that's how we sat for awhile, until a pang went through me.

"Ca-Can I see Dimitri?"

"Of course you can! He's outside, I'll go get him."

I smiled. "Thank you." She was just around the corner "And Liss?"

"Yeah?"

"I missed you too." Her smiled grew when I said that and she went off. I bent my knees and yet my chin on them as waited for Dimitri. A few minutes later I heard his footsteps. I smiled. I suddenly smelt his old cologne, I saw his strong frame, and my heart raced. I'd seen him right after I'd been restored, but here, now, even in the dark he came to life.

"Roza." He said faintly as he opened the cell door.

I rushed over to him and buried my face in him chest llike I'd done ealier. I felt him, his warmth, his smell, his life. Then I remembered, like a flash back, the night in the car. The pictures…the ring.

"Yes."

"What?" He asked pulling away confused.

"The offer's still good right?"

"Wha- wait, you, you found it that night?" his voice grew excited. I nodded, a smile spreading across my face. He lifted me up pulling my face next to his."Of course if does." He said his lips smothering mine. I felt his breath on my face, his brown eyes digging deeply into my soul as our noses touched. "Rose, when you…when you were turned. I thought my entire life was over. I didn't know if I 'd ever see you again and…" he closed his eyes shaking his head. He opened them and kissed my cheek. "I would have rather taken my own life than have to had to live with you strigoi…"

"Dimitri, I-I love you so much." I said my voice cracking

He didn't answer, he didn't need to.

"I need to go."

"What? No, you can't!" I said panicking

"I have to, I'm going to get you out of here."

"But-I need you to stay, just…just a little longer."

He lay me down on the cold bed. "Once you're out of here we'll spend all day, and night together." He raised one eyebrow, and I giggled. For the first time in months, I felt like myself.

So I lay back relaxing into the pillow. "Soon?"

"Of course Roza." He replied swiftly

And the cell door clattered close and locked.

Dimitri's POV

"You have to let her go! She's fine! She won't harm herself or whatever."

"That's not what Guardian Hackery said I'm afraid." Replied Hans swiftly.

"That bastard is trying to hurt her not help her!"

"Dimitri-"

"No, don't you dare say you get it. You need to let her out of there, she needs us."

"Fine."

"But-Wait, did you say…fine?" I asked startled

"Just leave before I change my mind." He said and gestured for me to go. I ran out of that room, to the jail, to get my Roza.

I ran down the hall way of the jail cell to Roza cell. It was late night for the vampire and most everyone was about to go to sleep. But waiting back at home was a surprise party for Rose. One we'd planned on the spot. I typed in the code the man at the door told me and swung open the door. Rose was fast asleep and I knew I startled her as she sat up quickly in the fighting stance. The window let the front of the hallway let in a dim light from the rising sun that turned the whole world a perfect orange.

"Di-" before she could finish I swept her off the bed and into my arms. She wrapped her legs around my waist. I smiled as I put my head on her shoulder.

"Your coming home now." I said softly.

"It's all over?" she asked in a relieved tone.

"Yes, it's all over baby, all over."

She pulled me closer her arms snaking around my neck. I eased her down and we walked out hand in hand back home. Where I hoped we'd be forever, and always, together.

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! Sorry this took FOREVER to get up I've been so busy. But anyways REVIEW we have some BIG chapter coming up with Zach Hackery,love,pain, and Lauryn…along with some other dutys Rose left undone as strigoi DON DON DON!

-ThatEmmyGal


	10. Seeing through Smoke

Chapter Ten: Seeing through smoke.

Rose's POV

My freedom did come with some catches though, the moment Dimitri and I stepped outside we were met by a full force of guardians. Eight in total surrounding us as we walked. Dimitri pulled me close as we walked, wrapping his hand around my stomach. It felt amazing to be in his warm embrace.

"Your not wearing your cologne." I said lightly trying to fill the silence.

"I couldn't." He replied

"Why not."

"I always wore it for you Rose." He sighed sadly. I stopped and looked back at him.

"Really?"

He nodded and we continued. Then I heard some of the guards murmur.

"She is still dangerous."

"Yeah, she nearly killed our queen this morning."

"She pretty much did KILL her."

"Nah, she was still living when that Sonya gal healed her."

"Whatever." He replied.

Dimitri leaned down and spoke softly into my ear."Don't listen to them."

"Wasn't planning on it." I replied back.

We got to the door and I hesitated before pushing it open. Because just that previous day I'd been strigoi…

"Go on Rose, it's alright." I spun around to see Mikhail upon the group.

I twisted the door handle that lead to Lissa's doorway. Security check area now after my attack. They padded me down and I went through a small scanner. I waited for Dimitri before walking into the large living room.

Many of my friends stood around and instantly turned when I walked in. It was like a spot light suddenly streaming on me, a spot light I wasn't ready for. Everyone smiled, but I still took a step back and hit a hard body. Dimitri's body. He clasped my hand and gave me a light push forward.

"Hi Rose." I spotted Eddie and my own smile spread across my face.

"Eddie." I said lightly and he stepped forward. And gave me a light hug.

"What kind of trouble did you get yourself into this time Hathaway." I laughed a little and then I felt Lissa's hand. I felt her thoughts flood into my mind.

_I'm glad your home Rose._

I gave Eddie a nod and turned to see Lissa's smiling face. I hugged her tightly. We chatted for most of the "homecoming". I smiled and talked a little with others. But the party wore on and it grew late, and I grew tired. Dimitri caught my hand and gave a nod at the others.

"You need to sleep."

"Among other things I joked spinning around and catching him by surprise. His face grew tender. He lead me up the stairs. It all felt to familiar, but yet so new. Once we were up stairs he kissed me again.

"Why'd you cut your hair?" he asked lightly inbetween kisses. I suddenly took a deep intake of breath and panic ran all over me.

"Dimitri, there, there are more! Insiders in the court. We, we have to find them!" I broke away from his grip and instantly grabbed my hair. Dimitri gripped my wrists.

"Rose, please, please, relax." Desperation wrapped his voice.

"There are insiders helping strigoi Dimtri! Lauryn, Lauryn was here. She could still be! And others." I shook my head "others could be coming to find…to find me."

"You need rest Rose. I'll go alert the court, you need to sleep baby." He looked worried about me, very worried.

"You can't go out alone, they could be coming any minute."

"I'll be fine, it's nearly daylight" he assured me cupping my face like he always did. "Now, really go sleep." I gave him one more kiss before getting ready quickly for what would be a sleepless night.

Dimitri's POV

After going to headquarters and making a few plans I hurried home. I would get up in a few hours to join the charious that was entangling the court with possible attacks. Over 50 guadains surround our home and I was glad. But right now all I wanted was to be with Rose. I wanted to hold her small body in mine, and feel her steady breathing.

I bound up the stairs to at a time to get to her, I carefully opened the door a crack and snuck in. She was covered in our blankets, a small ball. I sat down slowly next to her. She awoke instantly and rubbed her eyes. They were red, and puffy. I suddenly became concerned. She shouldn't be crying now, everything was getting better. I lay down on her side and pulled her close.

"Roza whats wrong?"

"Everything." She whispsered shaking her head.

"No. No Roza it's all getting better."

"No it's not." She said slowly. "They'll come back for me. Or someone, or something. They won't stop, they never do…" she rambling and pulled in closer, her fingers clining on for life.

"I won't let them hurt you Roza, I will protect you at all costs."

"You can't don't you see? We already walk a fine rope with our relationship! You need to protect Christain."

"I know. But, but if it came down to you or him. I'd always pick you Rose, you know that."

She pushed me away hard rolling over and sitting up on the otherside of the bed.

"That's why…."

"That's why what?" I asked so confused. Just a few hours ago she had said yes, to us getting married to our lives piecing back together, and now this…

"I love you." She sighed "But I can't, I can't stay here. I AM putting everyone in danger Dimtri. I love you more than anything but I can't, I can't put people in danger. I've been trained to defend mori, not get them killed. So by leaving that's what I'm doing, defending them."

I got up blood pulsing though my veins faster. I gripped Rose's arm with sterness, but not harsh by any means. "No, you're not doing this. You're not pushing me away because you're scared. No." By heart pounded as I spoke. Because I could see the look in her eyes, the look I'd seen right after she'd been taken to the cell. Desperation, sadness, guilt, longing. She looked up at me.

"I…" she managed to get out

"Rose. Do you remember the first time you saw strigoi. Back that fall, the fall I met you? Natalie, you remember?" now I was starting to ramble. She shook her head. "You asked me if I really did have feelings for you, and what did I say?"

"You…you said you did, but we could never be together."

"Because why?"

"Because we were both going to be protecting Lissa. And you had to save her life, jump in front of her, not me."

"But look! Were together now." I gripped her hand. "That was the first time I almost lost you….But now, now everything will be fine. We'll get through it, together Rose, like always."

She squeezed my hand. She looked like she wanted to say something but she couldn't. So I did. "Rose. I can't ever loose you again. Not by choose, not by you running from this from what we could have." I whispered and crouched down to her and gave her a llight kiss.

"Thank you." She whispered through a few tears that slide down her cheek. "Thank you for still loving me even though you've seen what I've done." I scooped her up in my arms. 

"I will never, ever, ever stop loving you Rose. Not for one day, not for an hour, not for a second. Never."

She leaned into my chest and I hoped my heart was beating steady for her, to calm her like it always did. I sat down on the bed and her body still clung tightly to mine. I adjusted so she and I lay comfortably, so close I swear we were one in that moment. Then I heard my cell phone ring 20 minutes later.

Rose rolled over to face me and I gripped it tightly, angry it had woken my Roza. I kissed her cheek and went into the bathroom.

"What?" I Barked into the speaker careful not to get to load to wake Rose further.

"Dimtri, we've think it's in the best interest if-"

"I swear Hans if you say take Rose away from the court I will come down there and take you out myself." I hissed.

"No no no, we need you own her to discuss the queens safety. We think maybe we should have her moved."

"What do you mean moved?"

"We think our only option is to move the queen to a new location, and the court."

"What?"

"It's the only option now."

"I understand. I'll be there in 10 minutes."

Rose was awake when I walked out.

"I'm coming too."

"Rose-"

"No, I'm coming. Okay?"

"Okay." I said lightly and watched her disappear into her closet to get dressed quick and I did the same.

**Hey guys! I've been getting AMAZING feed back from you lately. It really makes me want to cry knowing that you read and enjoy my writing as much as you say you do. I hope this chapter proved to be as good as I felt it was while I was planning and writing. Now time for a few shout outs!**

Mary-Lynette

127Suzanne

shl

RozaDimka

gracefish21

KathrynIvashkov BetsyBelikov

PLUS new V.I.P message going out in the next day or so. It's not to late to sign up for the V.I.P messages about upcoming chapters. Just say so in your REVIEW. Love you all to the bottom of my soul! 3

ThatEmmyGal


	11. Saving Grace

Dimitri's POV

Once she was dressed, she walked into the bathroom and brushed her shorter hair.

"I want my hair back." She said simply.

"Maybe, Maybe Lissa can make it grow like she does with plants." It sounded stupid coming out of my mouth like that. But I wanted to give her a little hope. "But if she can't it'll grow back someday. But either way your beautiful without it long." She looked at me and shook her head.

"You don't have to say all that stuff."

"It's true Roza." This made her smile at least a little and I was glad. I kissed her forehead gently.

"We better get going."

"Yeah." She said tiredly rubbing her shoulder. We walked down the stairs in silence. Which felt so odd, I could still sense Roza was keeping herself distant from me, her only emotions coming out in small little burst. Bursts that scared the hell out of me. I was so afraid that one of these times she'd have an entire break down. I shivered just remembering her last before she was strigoi. When she killed Victor. But I was really confused on if she was still bonded with Lissa or not, I couldn't figure it out and I was afraid to ask. I instead wrapped my arm around her waist. I almost expected her to push it off but she didn't. She leaned back onto my shoulder. And searched for my hand. I gave it to her happily, glad it had been my good hand, and not the one I kept wrapped up from the stake's wound. She looked up at me into my eyes.

"Where would they move it?"

"I don't know Roza. That's hopefully what we'll be finding out." She reached out and gently grabbed my wrist. She drew her finger over where some blood had soaked through the bandage.

"I'm sorry." She whispered out, all though she didn't look up.

"Rose, this is hardly a serious injury. You didn't mean to."

"I'm sorry." She repeated and I realized she wasn't just apologizing for the cut. "I'm sorry to have to deal with this…with me."

"Rose! Stop." She did and looked over her shoulder alarmed at me. "You know how much I love you, I will do and go though anything with you. If you need me I'll always be right here, I won't ever give up hope on you or anything like that, you KNOW that."

"I know…"

"Come on, we really do have to keep going." We continued our walk to the head quarters in silence. Once we got close she let go gingerly as if she regretted having to.

We pushed open the door and the entire bustling room looked back at us. While I looked over at Rose, who looked like her old confident self. Hans pushed through the crowd.

"Come on Dimitri."

"What about Rose, she's coming too."

"She wasn't asked to." He replied shortly.

"She is coming." I replied back my voice staying strong.

"I don't have time to fight this Dimitri, she can't come."

I looked him deep in the eyes and was ready to fight this tooth and nail. But Rose stepped forward. 

"You need me."

"And why is that?" he asked almost amused.

"The strigoi trust me." Now when she said this the room did fall instantly silent but she continued. "Move the court if you must, but we have a bigger problem to deal with. And it's the fact that there are hundreds of strigoi that know exactly how to get into the court. There are insiders." Her eyes spun around the crowd that had gathered. "They could be in here at this moment. We either need to figure out which one of you is a trader, or you will let me help you kill every last one of the strigoi in the palace."

"Did you say Palace?" one guardian asked.

"Yes. It's where I, and many other strigoi lived and hunted together. They're planning on doing a major attack on the court."

"And that's why we have to move it."

"Can't you see it's not the court that's the problem it's the dozens of insiders. We need to figure out who they are now." I stepped next to Rose trying to give her strength to go on, because I could see in her body language she was wavering. Now Hans eyed her questionably.

"How do we know that your not one of them, your not one of the insiders."

"Because I'm willing to lead you to them. And willing to." She choked on her words a little. "They can have me if they want. Kill me, turn me back, I don't freaking care, as long as Lissa is safe. As long as the court is safe." This time I did speak up.

" Rose-" She cut me off right away.

"It's the only way Dimitri." She said quietly not meeting my eyes. "If they want me, they'll have me."

Hans did not share my disgust in what she had just said. He nodded his head. "Come on Hathaway, you too Dimitri." The whole room this time had broken out into the chaos as it had been when we have arrived. Rose strode forward following Hans. I got right next to her.

"What's gotten in to you?"

"They come first." She said coldly.

"No, no they don't Rose. You can't just give your life up like that."

"If I have to Dimitri I will."

"No."

"You can't keep denying what's in front of our faces. They want me, they'll do what they have to, to get me. If they turn me, restore me to strigoi one of you will kill me then it will all be over."

"Your talking about your death so lightly Rose."

"They come first." She repeated.

"Stop saying that!" My voice carried over the noise around us and Hans looked back. But I didn't care now. "Rose."

"What?" she snapped back.

"We'll talk about this later."

"No we won't." She replied but I couldn't push farther for the time being because we'd arrived at the meeting room. Hans lead us in and Rose and I took seats next to one another. I eyed her and she just stared back without much of an expression.

"So Hathaway." One mused "What's the plan?" harsh humor wrapped his words. I fought the urge to defend Rose, who looked all too calm.

"I will lead you in to the palace. Once we're close enough, we can attack. I'll make sure we go at the right time when everyone is inside. If I have the right equipment I can get the cameras we, I mean they, have up shut down for a few minutes. Once we're in, well you can take it from there."

"You said." Hans cleared his throat. "That if they wanted to restore you to strigoi, you'd let them." Rose nodded. "Then what, that's just another strigoi we have on our hands. And we certainly can't bring any sprit users to restore you again back to dhampir. So what do you suggest we do?"

I expected a long pause. For Rose to really consider and think about that. But there wasn't any hesitation. She answered immediately. "You do what you plan to do with every other strigoi there. You kill me." The room went silent. No one dare move or speak first. Hans looked hard at Rose.

"Kill you?"

"It's the only option, as you said. We can't just bring a rare spirit user with."

"Your willing to give your life to-"

Rose interrupted. "They come first. I will give whatever I have to, to keep the moroi queen and people safe."

"Alright then. We'll set out when you say when."

"Midday, noon. They'll be getting hungry, and weaker. They'll be easier to take down." Hans nodded.

"At 12 pm."

12pm, as in, 2 hours away. "Wait, today?"

"Yes." He said

"That gives her 2 hours."

"Yeah."

"You-"

"Dimitri." Rose said her voice carring signals of warning. And then Hans waved his hands, showing this meeting was over.

"I will see both of you in 2 hours." He walked away and Rose stood and walked out into the hallway. Then straight through the back door. I followed quickly. I thought she was just going to keep walking but she stopped abruptly and turned towards me. I took advantage of the seconds the wrap my arms around her. The orange sun was hitting it's morning peak and the light flooded against us. We walked home quickly and she ran up the stairs two at a time to our bedroom and threw herself against the bed. And curled up into a small ball. I sat next to her and stroked her back. She sat up and looked me deeply in the eyes.

Rose's POV

"I, I , I want you to kiss me." I managed to get out. Dimitri gripped my hand and pulled me closely to his warm body. His lips met mine firmly. I slid off his black shirt revealing his bare chest. He was one of those guys who didn't have thick disgusting chest hair everywhere. His chest was completely bare, and rock hard. I ran the palm of my hand over his abs and he shivered as he slipped my own tank top off and he pushed me back against the bed. I felt his warm long hands rub circles on my back gently.

"You can't let them have you."

"Mmmm?"

"I need you."

"I know." I said letting us slide in a one body. It was like we became one in those moments. I felt his love flow into me with each kiss. I grew nervous, I hadn't done this in months with everything. But Dimitri smiled feeling my body against his. After we lay there side by side, his breathing even with mine.

"I love you." He said kissing my forehead.

"I love you too."

"I can't have this be the last, the last time I feel your hair. Your curves, your lips." He kissed me again. "I can't live without you."

"Maybe you won't have to." I said feeling my mind spin. "Adrain."

"What?" He asked almost repulsed. "What about him?"

"He, he made us look like different people when I revealed that Lissa had a sister. So maybe, just maybe he could make me look strigoi, so that they wouldn't kill me." I said hopefully.

He pulled me tighter to his body. "That's it! We have to go find him, now, right now." He yanked off the covers and threw me my clothes. "Get dressed, now." He said but he did it with a smile. "We only have an hour."

And with that we were off to maybe find my saving grace.

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEWS WOULD BE AMAZING AND MAKE ME EVER SOOOO HAPPPY. I worked really hard on this chap, and took a whole hour out of my busy life to write and edit it all for my LOVELY readers!

-ThatEmmyGal


	12. MUST READ, IM BACK FOR GOOD

Hey, after a lot of thought I decided not to continue this story...Im sorry guys ;(. JK JK JK JK JK! I'm sooo sorry it's taken me so long, but I've got the next chapter ready for you posting it in the monring! 3 YEP THAT'S RIGHT IM BACK BACK BACK,and Im staying!


	13. Breath Me In Im back!

Authors Note: Hello All. It's Emmy. I know you all must hate me. I left you...for month. Nearly half a year. I feel horrible. But If your willing to take me back into your home's and want to keep reading my stories I'd love to keep writing. After re-reading Last Sacrifice I now know that I can write this story to my best abilities. I hope you still want to read. I understand if you don't. Just let me know in a review. I've updated my profile, so please take a looky see at that. And now for the much long awaited 13th Chapter...

Breath Me In...

"Ouch I have lost myself again  
Lost myself and I am nowhere to be found,  
Yeah I think that I might break  
I've lost myself again and I feel unsafe"

-Sia: Breath Me

I sat in the car on the way back to the Strigoi base where I'd lived it as one of them. My heart felt frozen with an over whelming fear. Except the worst part was I didn't know what I was scared of. The Strigoi? Being Killed? The charm not working? I had no idea. Maybe all of the above. But all I knew for sure,an unwavering fact was that after today my life would never be the same. Not that most days of my life hadn't been that way. Because they had. But today seemed increasling different. I'd been to the dark side and back. And now...now I didn't know who Rose Hathaway was. Or if I'd ever be able to find her.

Dimitri's hands caught hold of mine. He leaned close, his warm breath rushing past me. "Are we close?"

I looked back at him with a hard gaze and nodded. Adrian who sat in the front seat glanced back at me. His eyes bore into me like they could see my soul.

"Showtime?" He asked softly as if a loud voice would break me.

"Yeah. And Adrian?"

"Mmmhm?"

"Thank you for everything. And I mean that. Everything."

"Your coming out alive Rose. No goodbye's here, okay?"

"Okay."

With that Mikhail stopped the car a few miles from the base. I stepped out taking a deep breath and feeling strength pump into my veins. Adrain brought up my charm, along with Dimitris. We both probably looked frightly I thought to myself with a grin. Dimitri gave me a soft kiss on the cheek and with one last nod to Adrain, the two of us began a fast run towards the base which was coming into view. It matched the color of the grey sky. My feet hit the ground hard, thumping, my mind racing even faster than my feet.

This moment reminded me of being back at . Running with Dimitri during Training, before everything. I wonder what that Rose would have said if she knew all the things that would happen. It was crazy. We got close and I felt the silver stake I'd hidden in my boot jab me s a silent reminder that I'd either come out dead or alive.

The rest of the guardians would follow soon after. Ready to fight. Ready to defend.

I saw him. Kyle. The young human turned Strigoi who'd been my henchman. I readied myself the battle ahead. I put on a sly grin, walking up to him like I owned the place. Which I did.

"R-R-ose?" he asked confused. I shook my head.

"Kyle what did I tell you about stuttering?" I ran a finger across his chin, feeling my stomach churn. "Who else would it be?"

"L-L-Lauryn said they killed you."

"Well Lauryn was wrong wasn't she? Where is that little twit anyways? I'm here aren't I? And this is Dimitri. The queen was...not needed."

Kyle looked at me utterly confused by everything. I grinned at it and took the moment. "I brought you something..." I said reaching into my boot for my stake. It's metal cool against my finger tips as I drew it from my shoe. I moved in one swift movement, staking him. "I'm Sorry." I said sincerely, my facade dropping for a moment. "He was just a kid." I murmered to Dimitri. "He shouldn't have had to die like that. He had a family back home."

"Come on." He said ignoring my words, I opened the front door, ready to face whatever was waiting for me.

Authors Note Numero 2: So that's what I have for you to get your tasebuds wet. Hope it was alright. Please Review and let me know. Love you all :)


	14. Before it all

Author Note: Hey everyone, quick authors note before we get down to the good stuff. Just a few quick things. First off I want to thank all my loyal readers who started with Forever and Always and are still here, still reading, still reviewing. I would seriously die without your reviews, they're the soul reason I post new chapters. Second off, I know there are some weak writing parts of the last chapter, spelling,grammer, and such, but I'd really love if it y'all just ignore them. I've been super busy, like most fanfiction writers, with school, homework, reading, and more, so writing chapters is hard, and I think it's better to get chapters up for you, even if there's a few mistakes, rather than not at all. Okay, now on to the story...

Inside I marched right up the stairs, getting glares from everyone. "I'm back!" I yelled letting myself sink deep into character. And just on Que I turned behind to find the doors being busted open by the rest of the guardians. My facade dropping in an instance, my instinct taking over as a confused strigoi lept at me. I pinned him against the wall. His fangs showing, biting deep into my hand. I gritted my teeth stabbing him in the heart, satisfaction coursing through my veins.

Another one came on me from my back knocking me to the ground, but Mikhail was on him instantly going through his back to his heart. I breathed out a deep sigh and for a moment I caught a glimise of the chaos around me. Strigoi, everywhere. And us. Fighting for what we'd always known was right. For our people.

I already could see the dead bodies that didn't belong to the undead. Already hear the crys of the people when we returned. If we returned. I thought back to 's again. When the Strigoi had attacked there. I thought of the sheer terror of not knowing if Dimitri had survered. Then learning he had, and only hours later being torn from me. It'd all been stolen from me. And now this...

I got to my feet and was instantly whipped to the wall by an incredible force. My head banging hard against the wall I winced in pain as I was met with a face I knew all to well. Lauryns.

"They saved you." She spat the words in my face. "They fu-" I didn't let her finish. Stabbing the stake deep into her chest I watched her cold eyes glaze over. I yanked my stake out, stumbling backwards as I realized how much my hand hurt. I looked down at the two indents on my hand, deep, blood dripping down my arm. I gripped it tightly and shook it off, readying myself for whatever wanted to deal with my ever going rage.

Dimitri's POV

I tore my stake from another one's heart, taking a quick glance down to asses my own injuries. A deep gash on my leg had been causing me the most pain but it was nothing I couldn't deal with. I bound up the stairs, others followed me. There weren't as many up here, so the rest of the gaurdains took care of them while I continued through the floor, my stake pointed out in front of me so no one could catch me off gaurd. I kicked down a few doors and found empty rooms. At the end of the hall I heard whimpers, my weapon pointed forward I moved in slowly, but what I found surprised me. A room full of humans and mori. Chained to the walls, some with fresh bites, others with old cuts and wounds. I looked at the chains, hard and digging into their wrists. I shut the door hard, locking it. I didn't need any strigoi trying to kill me while I was trying to free them.

I find the key, high on the shelf, and I carefully unlock each of them. Its rare for strigoi to not kill their victims, but knowing Rose, there must have been a small sane part of her that wanted them to live.

Author Note: NOT FINISHED. Sorry, I had things come up but this chapter is all I have for now, Im really sorry. Review anyways if you care to. The end of this chapter and next one WILL be up and full by Tuesday. Promise.


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